Memories
by Shirley Kil
Summary: Do not own CM - no copyright infringement intended.
1. Chapter 1

Eliza sat inside the conference room and tugged at the lace sleeves around her wrist. In the heat wave that so often gripped this area of Virginia, her long sleeves drew a lot of attention, but the scars she hid beneath them brought even more questions – questions she'd rather not answer.

She clutched the folder containing information from Inmate-46J321. Thomas Yates was dead and Supervisory Special Agent David Rossi would never need to visit the prison for the name and location of another victim. Eliza held those names in her lap, in a letter Thomas had left in his cell addressed to the agent.

She looked around at the room. A round table surrounded by seven chairs and a large white board off to one side. There was an intercom in the middle of the table and in the ceiling what looked to be a projector. Eliza could only imagine the pictures generated through it.

"Dr. Windham?"

Eliza stood and accepted the hand proffered to her.

"Yes, Agent Rossi?" While she'd never met the man, she would have recognized him anywhere. She had to admit the pictures on the dust jackets of his books didn't do him justice.

He nodded and motioned her back to the seat she'd vacated, while he perched at the end of the table.

Eliza opened the folder and produced the letter. "I'll get straight to the point, Agent Rossi. I understand that once a year you visited Thomas Yates for the name and location of another victim of his?"

"Yes, that's right."

"Are you aware that he died three nights ago?"

Eliza watched as Rossi rubbed his jaw. Apparently the warden had not passed along that information like he'd promised. The man was still angry Rossi had been able to pull the political strings needed when the prison had been on lock down, to visit Yates.

Eliza watched her companion. David Rossi radiated sex appeal like an icicle melting on a warm winter's day; there was a genuine self-assuredness about him. Not the phony stuff one read in books or saw on TV. David Rossi was the kind of man as much at home chasing down the bad guys as he would be at a black tie event for a visiting dignitary.

"What happened?" He asked.

"We're not sure. The autopsy will tell us more, but the ME said it looked like a heart attack."

Rossi only nodded. He opened the letter and read a line or two.

"You were his court appointed psychiatrist?"

Eliza nodded.

"He says here, you are the only other person he trusted."

Eliza shook her head, "I wish I could say I'm flattered, but…" she let the sentence fall away.

"I understand; my yearly visits to Tommy weren't exactly high on my list of fun things to do."

Eliza gave him what she hoped was an understanding smile. "Yet you kept coming."

He folded the letter and pocketed it, "I owed it to the families of those Tommy murdered."

Eliza doubted that was the only reason, "A penitence for all those you couldn't save?"

Eliza was use to pushing buttons. It was what made her one of the top criminal psychiatrist in the world.

She stood, "Well I've kept my promise. You have your letter and I really must be getting back to my office."

Rossi stood and opened the door for her to pass, Eliza stopped and put out her hand, "It was a pleasure meeting you Agent Rossi."

"The pleasure was all mine."

Fictitious words, said in passing without any real meaning behind them, yet for a brief moment Eliza wished he meant them.

As they left the room, Eliza watched a tall, broad shouldered man approached.

The man held up a folder and Eliza watched Rossi nod in silent understanding. "Hotch I want you to meet Dr. Eliza Windham, Dr. Windham – SSA Aaron Hotchner."

Eliza kept her face neutral, but she recognized the name. A colleague of hers who worked in Internal Affairs had been ordered to look into the events surround George Foyett's death. She'd been called in as an additional consult, but she'd agreed with her colleague. Aaron Hotchner was fit to return to duty.

"Windham?" His eyebrows knotted together as he tried to place her name. "Dr. Eliza Windham! The same Dr. Windham who presided over the psychiatric evaluation of the Senate review with the Ian Doyle cased?"

Eliza nodded.

She could feel Rossi's brown eyes staring at her.

Thankfully her cell vibrated and she reached for it, and excused herself. Something about the way David Rossi looked at her made her skin feel two sizes too small.

She spoke quietly to her assistant, but managed to hear Aaron Hotchner's comment.

"Dave, Strauss once told me she's our biggest supporter. She stood up against the Senate review board and has defended our unit at every budget and Internal Affairs meeting."

Eliza tuned out of their conversation as her assistant began the daily routine of outlining her schedule. She hung up and smiled at the two men. "Well, gentlemen my boss has informed me my calendar is full and she's threatening to jump ship if I don't return soon."

At Aaron's puzzled expression she continued, "My assistant. I think in a past life she must have been a drill sergeant, she keeps me busy to say the least."

Aaron smiled and Rossi laughed, "We have one of those – we call her Garcia."

At that moment a quirky young woman with bright red hair and an elaborate bow of purple and yellow sequins made her way towards them.

"Huh?" She looked at the two men.

"Penelope Garcia, this is…"

Eliza watched as her eyes widened in recognition.

"Oh my god! You're Eliza Windham!"

Eliza smile slightly. "Yes, have we met?"

Garcia shuffled the large stack of folders in her arms, as she put forth her hand, "Penelope Garcia – your assistant –Dorothy Mayfield – we're in theater group together. She says you're the greatest invention since sliced bread – or something like that."

Eliza could see this woman being friends with Dorothy. They both had the unique ability to talk without pausing or taking a breath.

"I could say the same about Dorothy," Eliza smiled, but was acutely aware Rossi was watching her every move. It was instinctual. When your life's work put you in daily contact with some of the world's most heinous criminals you developed a sixth sense about when you were being sized-upped.

Her cell buzzed again. Eliza sighed and again, politely excused herself.

There was something un-nerving about standing among the elite group of profilers. The close knit family impression that permeated around them was almost palpable. Psychiatric reviews of cases were common and she could quote intimate details of those this group worked on. She often found herself vehemently defending the crack group of profilers. She took a deep breath and released it. Her name was nothing more than a signature at the bottom of a document to this group, yet she felt a deep kinship to them.

She looked at the caller ID; Huntsville Correctional Facility – her stomach tighten. "Dr. Windham." She answered.

Eliza felt her knees weaken.

No.

She pressed the phone hard against her ear.

Dear God, no.

Garcia was handing a case file to Hotchner and by the look on his face, Eliza knew it was true.

John Carrington had escaped – and the body count was rising.

She hung up and swallowed the knot in her throat.

"You heard?" Aaron asked.

She nodded.

"Then you know you're our best lead on where and when Carrington will strike."

Eliza leaned against the railing above the bull pen of the BAU. Her heart pounding loudly in her ears, adrenaline washing away any strength she had in her legs.

"Wait a minute," Rossi looked at his friend. "John Carrington, AKA the Shredder?"

Hotchner nodded, "He escaped sometime last night, and the Sherriff department found a body in a ravine between Huntsville and Mills Acres. The young woman had been skinned alive."

Eliza dropped her briefcase and grabbed the railing with both hands, regretting the coffee and bagel she'd had on her drive to Quantico.

"I'm sorry Dr. Windham, but we could use your help if we're going to stop Carrington." Hotchner was beside her, and Rossi had picked up her briefcase.

"I think the first thing we need to do is get you a seat." Hotchner moved toward the vacated conference room.

Eliza looked at Garcia, "If you don't mind, I'd appreciate the opportunity to freshen up a bit first? Could you show me to the ladies room?" She hated the weakness in her voice but was grateful as the pretty young girl took her by the arm and led her out of the BAU.

Eliza pushed past Penelope and through a stall. Her stomach heaved and she felt dizzy.

The bathroom door opened and closed and Eliza was grateful for the moment's privacy. It wasn't long before she heard it open again.

"I have a cloth for you and a bottle of water here on the counter, Dr. Windham." Garcia's voice was full of sympathy.

Eliza leaned against the stall door. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, and ugh…"

Eliza recognized that tone of voice but kept quiet. There was more bad news.

"I'm sorry but Hotch says when you can, please join us in the conference room. You're on your way to Mills Acres."

Eliza pushed up the lace sleeve and looked at the deep gashes and scar tissue along her arms. Could she really live through this nightmare again?


	2. Chapter 2

Eliza straightened in her chair. She knew how this team operated; she knew their record for solving cases. Yet the thought of returning to her home town of Mills Acres sent a wave of apprehension and dread through her.

They knew.

The victims of John Carrington were splashed across the viewing screen. She took a deep breath and looked at the photo of the women she'd been ten years ago. There was a sparkle in her eyes then. She had embraced life.

Aaron Hotchner's lips pressed together in a thin line. "I realize how hard this must be for you. "

Eliza stopped him. "The only thing that's going to help me now, Agent Hotchner is for your team to catch," she jerked her head toward the picture Carrington, "that demon and put him back in the cage he belongs in."

Aaron nodded. "Did you know any of his victims?"

"Yes," She swallowed the large knot in her throat. "Amy Reynolds, Catherine Simmons, and Tammy Davis; we were neighbors. We ran every morning together."

"What can you tell us about them," Derrick Morgan asked.

"Amy was a nurse, she was his…" Eliza took a shaky breath and released it slowly, "She was his first victim. She went on her run an hour or so early the day he took her. She was working a double and wanted to get her run in."

"How would he have known that?" JJ asked. "If he did know your routines, how would he know that day she was going to be alone."

Eliza shook her head, "I don't know."

"What about your other friends?" Aaron asked.

"Catherine was taken outside the law office where she worked and Tammy was attacked in her home."

"So he's patient. Probably stalked you to learn your routines and waited to take advantage of a moment when he could get you alone," Rossi's eyes were focused on the tablet he held, but there was a ring of sympathy in his voice.

"How did you escape?" JJ asked.

Eliza gripped her hands together in her lap. She trembled as the nightmare of that night played out in front of her.

"I'm sorry," JJ reached out and patted her arm, "It really will help."

Eliza nodded. Her voice barely above a whisper, "He kept me in an underground cave, large enough to hang me suspended from heavy chains. One night after…after…" Eliza cleared her throat, "One night after he left the chains began to loosen, I kept tugging on them and they finally broke free. I ran."

"You're sure you were underground?" Rossi asked.

"Yes. The climb out of there was nearly vertical, but when I finally made it, it was definitely underground."

"What did you do then?" Dr. Reid asked.

"I was in the woods; all I could see were trees. I panicked and ran until I stumbled onto a highway. I must have passed out from the loss of blood. The next thing I knew I was in UAB Hospital with a police guard 24/7 at my door."

"And it was your testimony that put Carrington away?" Hotchner added.

Eliza nodded. She took a determined breath, "What about his latest victim," Surprised at the strength in her voice.

Garcia clicked her remote and the picture of a pretty red-haired young girl flashed on the screen behind her.

"Olivia Harrison, twenty-six, court reporter." Garcia announced.

Eliza looked at the photo. She was dressed in runner's shorts standing in front of a huge banner.

"Penelope, was she a runner?" Eliza peered at the logo on the banner.

Garcia nodded, "Avid."

"Then he goes after women who are in shape." Reid announced.

Eliza nodded, after her ordeal with Carrington she'd stopped running. She missed the feel of the early morning dew on her face when she ran. The sound her feet made as the miles drifted by her.

"What is it?" Rossi's voice broke her train of thought.

She jerked her head at the photo. "That race is an annual event in Mills Acres."

"So?" JJ asked.

"So she was killed in Huntsville, Alabama."

Aaron looked at his tablet and back at her. "He's targeting women who live in or are from Mills Acres." He continued somberly.

Eliza forced the bile rising in her throat down. "That means it's only a matter of time before he finds me."

Rossi shook his head, "No. We can put you into protective custody."

Eliza didn't move. "His last words to me before they took him from the courtroom Agent Rossi were 'you're next". I've always known he would find me and finish what he started."

"You're safe with us, Dr. Windham," Derrick Morgan announced.

Eliza turned to the handsome young man. "It's not me I'm worried about."

"What do you mean?" Rossi asked.

"John Carrington told his court appointed psychiatrist he would find me and kill me, but until he did he would find others to take my place."

She stood on shaky legs, "Until you find him, this is just getting started." Eliza pulled her cell and stepped outside the conference room. She had a few favors to call in if she were going to join this team.


	3. Chapter 3

Eliza looked out the window and watched a sea of clouds drift by. Aaron had readily agreed to her joining them. She did know more about John Carrington than anyone. She drifted in and out of their conversation regarding victimology.

It wasn't until Aaron asked, "So what else do we know about Carrington?" She turned toward the group.

Eliza took a deep breath. This was what she'd been dreading. "We know how he tortures his victims," She spoke quietly.

Rossi reached out and patted her hand. A simple gesture but at that moment no one could have done anything for her with more compassion. Eliza blinked back the tears.

"What can you tell us?" Blake asked.

Eliza began to detail her torture, her voice robotic in the account of events.

"I'm sorry I have to ask, but some of the bodies made it impossible to know if he raped his victims," JJ asked.

Eliza shook her head. "No. Slicing our skin to shreds was definitely his sexual release."

The laptop Dr. Reid had opened on the table buzzed into life and Garcia's face filled the screen.

"Hello crime fighters, I've contacted the Mills Acre's PD and they're awaiting your arrival."

"And?" Rossi asked.

"And another woman has gone missing," she hesitated.

Eliza felt a knot of pain growing in her belly, "Who?" She asked.

"Elizabeth Crowing," Garcia announced.

All eyes turned toward her. Eliza shook her head. She didn't know her.

"Was she a runner, Garcia?" Derrick asked.

"You betcha, and in training for the Boston Marathon."

"Why runners?" Blake asked.

Eliza focused on her hands, clasped tightly in her lap, "I don't know about the people you've dealt with, but in my practice I've found that many of them want what they can't have. At some point that obsession becomes so overpowering they'll do whatever it takes to have it."

Rossi shook his head, "One man's logic is another man's crazy." He told her.

Eliza continued, "Part of the reason his victims are runners is simply because he can't."

"Can't what?" Rossi asked.

Eliza turned. From the moment they left Quantico, Rossi had been her shadow. He sat next to her now.

"John Carrington has a heart condition. He's had several surgeries and can't tolerate long hours of overexertion."

JJ looked at the crime scene photos on her tablet, "What he does to his victims doesn't trigger his condition?" She asked.

Eliza turned back to the view outside her window.

"Not when you take your time." Eliza whispered.


	4. Chapter 4

Eliza made her way towards the man at the end of the ramp. She smiled. Before the morning Carrington took her, changing her life forever, she'd been blissfully happy. Her heart had been set on marrying the man who waited for her to debark

He walked towards her; his sheriff's badge glistened in the late afternoon sun. He grabbed her in a bear hug, "Eliza, it's good to see you again."

Eliza returned the hug and smiled. "You too, Bo," she tapped his badge, "Congratulations."

He grinned, "Thanks, I hear your doing well. A big shot psychiatrist now, huh?" He teased.

Eliza laughed, "Well, I don't know about the _big shot _part, but psychiatrist is right."

David Rossi stepped up beside her, and Eliza couldn't help but stare at him questioningly. She'd felt him watching as she embraced Bo, but dismissed it as simple curiosity. Now he was close, his hand placed protectively in the small of her back.

"Bo, I'd like you to meet SSAs Aaron Hotchner, Derrick Morgan, Jenifer Jareau, and David Rossi."

Bo shook Aaron's pro-offered hand, "Can't tell you how glad I am you folks are here."

Eliza turned and continued the introductions, "And these are Dr.'s Spencer Reid and Alex Blake." She smiled, "Everyone, this is Sheriff Bo Ramsey."

Bo nodded and led the group to the two awaiting officers standing beside their jeeps. "Sorry we don't have the SUVs you wanted but my deputies are at your service."

"Jeeps," Morgan asked?

Bo nodded, "This is Mills Acres – some of the terrain we cover can be rugged."

Eliza smiled. That was putting it mildly. She noticed Bo didn't go into detail that for the majority of the time his officers chased moonshiners through the wooded areas surround his small town.

"I understand you discovered another body?" Aaron asked. Eliza was learning the leader of this group was always the constant professional.

"Yeah, up near the ravine where…" he let the sentence trail off and looked at her apologetically.

Eliza finished for her friend, "…the ravine where I was found."

Bo fumbled with his hat and nodded.

Eliza reached out to pat his arm, "It's okay Bo, the sooner we catch him, the better."

"Dave you and Morgan go with the Sheriff to the scene, JJ – Reid the morgue, Alex and I will go to the Sheriff's department and set up."

Bo rubbed his jaw, "Well, about that. See," he began, "we're not a large department, but I have managed a room for you in the courthouse across the street."

Eliza watched Aaron, he wasn't displeased but he wasn't pleased either.

Bo reached for her luggage, but Dave picked it up and walked towards one of the awaiting officers. Eliza noticed he didn't put them in Bo's jeep.

It was silly, but she thought he did it on purpose.

She felt responsible for this group, somehow. They would have been here regardless if she'd shown up in David's office yesterday or not but that wasn't the point. She was here, with them now and she was determined to make sure their needs were met.

"Bo, have you made arrangements at Maws?"

"Maws," JJ asked? "What's that?"

"It's a B&B located on the outskirts of town. Mills Acres doesn't have much need for hotels. Originally it was a schoolhouse in the late 1800's. Then the Baker's took it over and remodeled it. The main attractions are the flower gardens behind it." She answered.

Bo helped JJ in his jeep before adding, "She's expecting you. I haven't seen her this happy since the Raiders beat the Rebels last year in the play offs.

Alex looked at her for an explanation.

"High school football," she told her. "This far south you need to pick a team and remain a little fanatical about your loyalty to it."

Alex nodded and joined JJ in Bo's jeep.

Eliza turned to join Dave but Bo grabbed her arm.

"You know, it really is good to see you, Lizzie."

Eliza smiled slightly at the nick-name he'd given her. She missed the days when she could give herself to a man. When she could enjoy a relationship consisting of pet names and shared secrets.

That no longer existed for her here. She looked up to find David Rossi watching her.

Could it exist with someone else?


	5. Chapter 5

_He was coming._

_Eliza tugged at the chains that held her suspended. She couldn't survive another attack._

_A beam of light danced around the earthen walls._

_She tugged._

_Something cracked._

_Eliza took a deep breath, summoning the last ounce of strength in her body and pulled._

_She crumbled on the ground._

_She didn't have any time to revel in her victory – Carrington was close! The light was growing brighter._

_Eliza scrambled to the stairs. He kept a large bucket there, where he tossed her clothes. She looked around the area._

_Nothing._

_She picked up the bucket and tested its weight in her hands._

_The stairs creaked._

_The beam caught the empty area._

_She had one chance._

_Eliza stepped from beneath the stairs and swung as hard as she could._

_Crack! _

_The flashlight bounced on the floor, but she didn't bother to pick it up._

_Eliza ran._

_Eliza__!_

_The monster was right behind her. She could feel his breath on her neck. He was clawing at her._

_She struggled, pushing herself up the near vertical stairs. The loss of blood from Carrington's torture made it feel as if she were running in molasses._

_Eliza!_

_Behind her, in the dark. She swung with all her might. He was too strong._

_Dear God! She rather die than be chained again._

_Eliza! Wake-up!_

Eliza opened her eyes.

Rossi was on the edge of her bed, his hands tight around her arms, Morgan and Aaron stood in the doorway to her bedroom, guns drawn.

"I…" She stopped.

It had been a long time since she'd dream of John Carrington and the hell he put her through.

She looked hesitantly at David.

He pulled her into his embrace.

"It's okay, Hotch. I got this." He told the two men.

Eliza held on to David for dear life. She turned just as Morgan nodded and left. Aaron waited.

"Are you sure you're alright? If this is too much, we can take it from here." He told her.

Eliza shook her head. John Carrington had won - once. She wasn't about to let him win again. At some point David had brought her a glass of water and she accepted it with trembling hands.

"I'm fine." She said, wishing she felt it. "I guess it's just being back here. Everything is a reminder."

Aaron glanced at his friend. Rossi motioned him away with nod.

Eliza heard the door click closed.

"I really am sorry," she couldn't bring herself to look at him so she stared at the crumbled bed sheets.

"For what?"

His voice was tender and Eliza allowed it to sooth her jangled nerves.

"Are you going to pretend I didn't just scare the hell out of you and your friends?" She asked.

He watched her as she drained the glass. She was about to hand it to him when she realized her arms were bare. The ugly whelps and scars were just another angry reminder of what she'd been through.

She looked past him to the edge of the bed and her robe.

For a long time he only stared at her. His eyes searching hers for something Eliza wasn't sure he'd find. It was the same look she gave her patients. A look she used to judge just what was left of the person they use to be, before their lives had fallen apart.

He reached around and held the robe out to her, "You don't have to hide your scars from me Eliza."

She quickly pulled the silky fabric on. "You've seen it all?" Her voice held none of the bravery she'd been aiming for.

He stood and replaced the glass on the dresser. Turning, he shook his head. "I wouldn't presume so much."

Eliza hadn't thought of that. She supposed with each case he saw the worst one human could do to another.

He pulled a chair near her bed and straddling it, he looked at her, "Eliza, most of my time is spent somewhere between _Dear God_ and _oh shit_ – it's just the nature of the job. Besides, scars show us where we've been, they don't dictate where we're going."

Eliza smiled. "_Dear God and oh shit_?" I don't think I've ever heard it quite put that way." She laughed.

He shrugged and reached for the light switch. "You need some sleep."

Eliza looked at him, "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to wait here until you fall asleep and keep the monsters away."

He clicked the lights off.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Eliza woke to the enticing aroma of fresh brewed coffee, ham and eggs.

Her stomach rumbled nosily.

She glanced at the chair David had sat in for most of the night. She'd been acutely aware of his presence, but at some point, she'd drifted off. Eliza had never met a man quite like David Rossi and she'd be willing to bet she never would.

What made a man who'd seen more horror than any one person should in a hundred lifetimes, so gentle and understanding?

She walked to the on-suite bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. Perhaps she answered her own question.

Dealing with the ugly, sinister side of life probably made David appreciate the beauty still left in this world.

She sighed. Last night when she realized her arms were bare and he'd seen the ugly scars, he dismissed them as only a reminder of what she'd overcome.

She stepped into the shower as the sounds of laughter from the dining room below drifted up the stairs. If only she could do the same.

Minutes later Eliza sat at a large ranch style table as Aaron Hotchner began doling out assignments.

Sometime during the night, Bo and the sheriff's department found Elizabeth Crowing's abandoned VW bug near Lake Jordan; her purse and a bag of groceries still in the car.

"Morgan you and Reid go to the Sheriff's and get a look at that car." He hesitated, "Eliza do you feel up to visiting the ravine where you were found?"

Eliza took a deep breath and released it slowly, "Yes."

Aaron Hotchner studied her for a moment, and then turned to David, "Dave, the two of you see if you can find a secondary location. Perhaps he left some clue of another place he might have taken other victims."

David nodded and rose.

"We'll meet back at the room the Sheriff has for us in the courthouse at noon."

The thirty-minute drive to the ravine was the shortest half hour of her life. With each passing street, every turn, Eliza felt her insides twist in tighter and tighter knots.

They were about ten minutes away when David's voice jolted through her.

"Are you sure you're up for this? Our past can be a demon all its own."

She turned and looked at him. Curiosity got the better of her and she asked, "What demons chase you, David?"

She watched the corners of his lips turn up, "Far too many, I'm afraid." He glanced her way, but only for a second and return to focused on the rough dirt and gravel road.

Eliza considered his question. "This is the final piece I need to put into place, David. For years, I dealt with the why's and what if's of what happened to me. I've come to terms with it, for the most part. I always knew I would come back here – that I needed to come back. To once and for all bury the memory of John Carrington."

"I understand," his voice soft, "I came out of retirement for the same reason. A case I needed to put to rest."

She nodded and turned her attention towards the road. They'd be there soon.

He reached out and placed his hand over hers, "If this gets too much for you, just say the word and we'll leave."

Ahead the road opened up and the ravine came into view.

He stopped and she stepped from the jeep, making her way to the area she remembered so well. For years it haunted her dreams, taunted her. The moment her feet hit the path the memory of that night slammed into her.

"Here," she pointed to the area where the path met the road, "This is where I was found."

"Are you sure? It's been what? Ten years? Things change."

Eliza shook her head and closed her eyes, "I remember stumbling down the path, and was about to give up – I was so tired. When I rounded the trail I saw a bon-fire. Some teens were here partying. I kept thinking if I could make it to the fire, someone would help me."

He looked around, "What do you remember about your trip down?"

She looked at him, unsure what he was asking.

"If you passed out from the blood loss, what made the kids abandon their party and enable them to find you?"

Eliza closed her eyes again, allowing the images of that night to surface. She swallowed the large knot in her throat, "I remember hearing laughter and music. Then…quiet. I thought I'd dreamed the whole thing, and that I was hallucinating.

I heard footsteps and a young girl talking to…someone. She kept saying she felt creeped out."

"Creeped out?"

Eliza nodded, rubbing the sleeves of her shirt. It was humid and hot but she shivered none-the-less.

"She kept saying something was wrong and I guess with the rain coming down harder, they decided to leave. That's when they found me."

David rubbed his goatee and scanned the area.

Eliza could never forget it. It was overgrown and looked as if time had stood still; nothing had changed except the large bloodstain she'd been found in was gone.

She looked up the path. "She came to see me in the hospital," Eliza had forgotten the visit until now.

"And?" David asked.

"She said there was something evil in the air that night," Eliza took a deep breath and began to pick her way up the trail. "She didn't know how right she was, David."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Eliza stood at the top of the hill and looked down. How had she managed the climb ten years ago? Of course, she'd been in much better shape; she'd been a runner then. She looked at David; the climb hadn't seemed to faze him.

"Do you recognize anything?" He asked. "Normally I would suggest a cognitive interview, but…" he let the sentence trail off.

"But I am a psychiatrist, and yes I've conducted my fair share of cognitive interviews. " She paused and looked at him, "There is something I can do."

He waited.

"Using meditation helped me a great deal whenever," she paused, took a deep breath before continuing, "…well, in the beginning when the post traumatic distress and nightmares were at their worst. "

David held her gaze for what felt like an eternity, then nodded.

"Just remember, I'm right here."

Eliza looked around. She closed her eyes, inhaled deeply as she tried to recall her escape.

"I was suspended about four or five feet above the floor, it smelt musty like rotting leaves and when my eyes finally adjusted to the darkness I could just make out a wooden beam above my head. My chains were attached to the beams. Whenever he…Carrington came, he would move around the room turning on lanterns, like you'd use on hunting or camping trips. Then he would sit on the steps and just stare at me. I didn't know it then but he had to….rest before…."

She rubbed her wrist, remembering the way the chains had cut into her wrist. Eliza didn't open her eyes but she could feel David step closer to her.

"I remember I had to keep focusing on the beam instead of…of him. He never stayed long, and he would tell me which areas he was going to…to cut. He kept mumbling that if he got in a hurry and cut the wrong area, I'd bleed to death, and how I would be of no use to him then."

David's voice was soft and tender as he asked, "Tell me about the night you escaped, Eliza."

"I had been trying to stay awake, but I was so tired. I looked up at the beam and that's when I saw it."

"Saw what, honey?"

Eliza kept her eyes closed knowing if she opened them and saw David, she would collapse in his arms. "The beam was coming loose, it had been raining a lot, I remember Carrington complaining about all the mud he had to go through and how difficult it was making his visits. I began to jerk on my chains, and that's when I felt the beam begin to give way in the wall. I guess the rain had penetrated enough that it had weakened the dirt around it.

The next thing I knew I was on the floor and Carrington was coming down the steps. I found a bucket and when he was close enough I hit him."

"That's good, now Carrington is probably exhausted from his climb, you've knocked him down, what did you do next?"

"I ran up the stairs. I remember there were three tall oak trees, at first, I thought they might actually be friends of Carrington's guarding the entrance, but the closer I got the more I could see they were trees."

She opened her eyes, and turning looked around, and then she saw them - three large stumps, broken in varying degrees of height – each with the same burn marks.

"These," she turned to David and pointed, "Only they were full grown trees then."

He joined her, "Looks like a storm came through," He waved at the burn marks, "Lightening must have gotten to them."

Eliza wasn't listening; she had counted the steps it took her to reach those trees. She rested against the center one for only a moment. She could remember how good it felt to lean against the tree, despite her cuts. The air was cleaner too. Everything was different.

She counted off the steps and stopped, dropped to her knees and began pushing aside the twigs and dried leaves until her hand touched metal. She locked her eyes with David's'.

He helped her up and gently pushed her aside as he grabbed the metal ring and after several pulls, the door swung open.

He stopped her as Eliza stepped forward.

"Eliza – this" he jerked his head toward the entrance, "You don't need to do this, honey."

She looked at the gaping hole and a deep shiver ran through her. She nodded. He was right, there was nothing down there she needed to see.

He patted her arm and clicked a light attached to the gun he pulled from his shoulder harness and started toward the opening.

He stopped.

Eliza looked at him, "What is something wrong?"

She watched him holster his weapon, then bend down and lift the hem of his pants. He pulled a small caliber handgun from an ankle harness. He handed it to her.

"Do you know how to use this?" He asked.

Eliza took the weapon, aimed in the distance, checking the sighting on the gun; she flipped off the safety and chambered a bullet.

David shook his head, "And to think I was worried."

Eliza shrugged, "There are three things a southern girl knows how to do, Agent Rossi." She couldn't keep the mischievous lilt from her voice. "One is cook; and the other is how to shoot."

He started down the door, stopped and looked at her, "That's two – what's the third?"

Eliza raised her eyebrow and smiled, "How to keep her man happy."

Whether he was talking to her or to himself Eliza wasn't sure, "I think I need a vacation home in the south."

Eliza watched him disappear into the darkness.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Eliza was amazed watching the team as they began reviewing John Carrington's case files and the how's and why he did what he did.

It often took her weeks of therapy with her patients to gather the necessary pieces to begin the healing process.

What they knew, even without her insights, was inspiring.

The afternoon had rushed past in a frenzy to find Elizabeth Crowing – alive. Press conferences, interviews, forensic reports all poured in with lightning speed and each were handled with a professional courtesy and urgency that took her breath away.

This was why she defended the team against the senate review. This was why she had fought to keep Aaron Hotchner after the Bureau called him in for questioning during the Foyette case.

They worked like a well-oiled machine, each working off the other with the familiarity of a family unit.

She excused herself after dinner. The day had been long and tiring, and all she wanted was a long bath and to veg-out in front of the T.V. for a while before calling it a night.

Eliza had just stepped from her bath when her phone began to trill the George Thorogood song, _Bad to the Bone, _the ringtone Dorothy – her assistant – had insisted be hers.

Eliza picked up the phone smiling as she answered, "I don't believe there is anything happening at the office you can't handle, Dorothy."

"But there are things you need to handle in Alabama, Eliza."

Eliza froze.

John Carrington.

"Doesn't it feel good to be back home, Eliza?"

Eliza felt her bottom lip begin to tremble.

"Of course Elizabeth is wishing she were anywhere but here."

Eliza gathered what courage she could, "What do you want, John?"

There was a moment of silence, then a scream.

Eliza recognized the pain and anguish of that scream. Carrington was slicing into Elizabeth's delicate skin.

"Stop it," she screamed. "Stop it!"  
Her own screams brought a sharp rap on her door and she opened it to David, Aaron and Morgan.

She placed her hand over the mouth piece and silently mouthed, _Carrington_.

"Your knight in shining armor coming to your rescue, Eliza? Do you really think he can keep us apart?"

Eliza looked at David, his expression worried.

"I…I don't know what you're talking about John, but if you want to meet somewhere…"

"Shut up and listen."

Eliza held her breath, if he were focusing on their conversation he wasn't torturing Elizabeth Crowing. She had to keep him talking. She overheard Aaron on his cell setting up a trace with Penelope Garcia.

"You have until dawn."

The call ended and David stepped closer, watching her, waiting until she caught her breath.

The nearness of him, settled over her like a balm.

"Well?" He asked.

Eliza looked at Aaron, "Don't bother, with setting up a trace, he told me to tell you he was using a prepaid cell and he paid cash for it. He said he was going to toss it when he hung up."

"Damn," Morgan offered.

"What did he want, Eliza?"

Eliza tried unsuccessfully to evade his question.

"He is torturing Elizabeth, I could hear her in the background. She's still alive, but…"

David stepped closer, his hands warm on her shoulders as he forced her to look at him.

"Eliza, honey – what did he want?"

Eliza took a shaky breath and focused on a button on his shirt. "He said he'll release Elizabeth at the ravine." She had one shot at this. There was no way she was going to let John Carrington win this time.

She met David eyes.

"If?" he asked.

"If I come alone. Me for her." She whispered.

David Rossi turned to the team that how now assembled in her bedroom.

"Like hell," he told her.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Eliza paced. It was an annoying habit she'd picked up in med school, but it helped her focus.

She barely heard or noticed as Aaron put his team into motion. From the moment she ended her conversation the team had begun to put a plan into motion.

Eliza picked up her pace, their plans to surround the ravine would lead them nowhere.

Carrington wouldn't be there and neither would she.

She hated lying – but she couldn't let another person be in danger when she had the ability to prevent it.

Carrington didn't want to meet at the ravine. She knew the abandon shack on the outskirts of town, where he would be. When she was growing up the kids would use it to meet and party, away from the prying eyes of the police and parents.

Eliza had followed John's instructions, so far. She told the team the meeting would take place at the ravine, she would wait until she could slip away, just before dawn and then meet Carrington at the shack.

A soft tap at her door caused her to jump. Eliza swallowed hard – if she were going to face John Carrington she had to get a better grip on her emotions.

She opened the door. David stood in the doorway, his arm propped against the frame. She motioned him in.

"I saw your light, I'm not disturbing you am I?"

Eliza shook her head. "It's an old habit of mine. Whenever I can't sleep – I pace. Nervous energy." She told him.

He smiled, "I think I can help with that."

He stood in front of her and brushed her hair from her shoulders, "Eliza, you don't have to be afraid. I'm here, and I'll be damned if John Carrington will ever hurt you again."

Eliza nodded. How could she tell him? If her plan succeeded John Carrington would never hurt anyone again – ever.

Tonight she planned on putting a bullet in him.

She gave David what she hoped was a brave smile, "I know David. Your team is the best, no one knows that better than I do. I've watched your cases march across my desk for years."

He smiled, "Hotch told me you're our biggest fan."

Eliza watched the concern and care in his eyes. This was the first time since she'd escaped Carrington that she actually wanted to take off her clothes instead of layering them on. She didn't feel she had to hide her scars with David Rossi.

As a psychiatrist she realized just how big a step that was for her.

As a woman she realized just how much she wanted this man.

He must have realized it too, because he reached out for her and pulled her close. His hand warm against her neck, his thumb slowly stroking her jaw.

Eliza felt weak. Her knees wobbled, her hands shook. "David?"

"Hmm?" He drew her closer.

"I haven't done this in a long time."

He kissed her forehead, his goatee sending shivers down her spine.

"I know sweetie."

He was leaving a trail of soft feathery kisses along her face and neck and Eliza clung to him, relishing his touch.

Anticipation coursed through her veins.

"Eliza we'll only go as far as you want. I'm a patient man and I'm willing to wait for you." He whispered the words against her skin.

"You may need to remind me how this goes," she tried to lift the sudden intensity of the moment, but she her fears betrayed her and she sounded more vulnerable than light-hearted.

"I think I can help with that too," he told her. His lips brushed hers – the faintest whisper of passion lingered in it.

It felt good to be near him – made her body come alive with desire.

His lips hovered a breath above hers, had he stepped closer to her or had she melted against him. She would never know, all that mattered was his lips were on hers, a fierce dam of passion bursting into unbridled desire. The floodgates were open now and she pulled him into her bed his kiss no longer enough, not when there was so much more waiting to be had.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Eliza had forgotten how cool and crisp the mornings could be in Alabama. She shivered as she quickly slid behind the wheel of the jeep David had used on their trip to the ravine.

He had been such an attentive and gentle lover last night, and it had taken every ounce of resolve she had to leave the warmth of his embrace as he slept next to her this morning.

She glanced at her watch 3:30 a.m.

Carrington's message had been clear. Give the BAU a false location and time, and meet him at the Wallace National Wilderness Preserve. It was on the opposite side of town and far enough away from the ravine, that even if David and his team figured out where she was it would be too late for any real help. Eliza couldn't make up her mind what was worse, the lying, obstruction of justice, taking a government issued vehicle, or her determination to end John Carrington's life, all of which were warring against her conscience.

Eliza checked the pocket of the dark warm-up suit she'd decided last night to wear. The small caliber handgun David had given her at the ravine was nestled safely there. She had determined again once she had Elizabeth Crowing in the jeep and out of harms' way would she kill him.

She pulled up to the designated area of the Reserve and waited. John Carrington was nowhere to be seen, but Eliza knew he was here. She could feel the evil that enveloped him.

Something stirred in one of the paths and she instinctively reached into her pocket, but the deer was only interested in crossing the path and making her way to whatever thicket was her home.

She knew he was near – she could feel the darkness that was John Carrington. She turned as he emerged from another corner of the reserve.

Elizabeth Crowing was stumbling as he half pushed, half pulled her along.

Eliza forced herself to remember how she felt when she'd escaped. She quickly assessed Elizabeth. Could she drive the jeep to safety?

Eliza waited until they were closer and eased out of the jeep. For one brief moment her eyes met Elizabeth's, Eliza smiled at her. She recognized that determination to live.

Carrington towered over her. His six-foot frame was thin – prison did that to men. She watched him lumber out of the dark woods. The muscle shirt he wore looked as if he'd pull it from a dumpster. It was stained and torn like the jeans he wore.

Her stomach rolled. His smell of a mixture of dumpster and blood.

"Eliza," he held a large hunting knife to Elizabeth's throat, "It's good to see you again, but let's loose the accessories shall we?" He motioned to her pocket and Eliza pulled the gun and placed it on the ground.

"Phone too."

She reached into the other pocket and placed the phone on the ground next to the gun.

"Let her go, John. This is between you and me."

She watched him grin.

He pushed Elizabeth towards her and Eliza bent to check the damage he'd done.

Elizabeth barely whispered, "I'm okay, but don't go with him – he's going to kill you."

Eliza took a deep breath, "I know, but I need to know if you can drive." She whispered.

Elizabeth nodded.

"Listen to me," Eliza whispered, continuing her inventory of Elizabeth's wounds as if Carrington wasn't there.

"There's an extra set of keys under the car mat. As soon as we're gone I need you drive out of here and contact the police."

Elizabeth slowly nodded.

Eliza turned and stood over Elizabeth, blocking Carrington from her.

"I'm here John, now let her go."

He moved slowly towards the gun.

She watched his jerky movements. His health had deteriorated since the last time she'd seen him. She noted the way one side of his face was drawn and remembered she'd heard he'd suffered from Bell's palsy while incarcerated. The mini prelude to a stroke had caused his left eyelid to drop slightly.

"Hand me the keys Eliza."

Eliza did as she was told.

"Now, give me the one's you hid in the jeep."

Eliza gritted her teeth, but did as she was told.

Carrington fired two shots into the back tire, then turned the gun towards her. He motioned her towards the path the deer had been on earlier.

"Let's go, Eliza. I've been waiting on this for a long time."

Eliza's hands shook and she felt the familiar fear snake around her legs. John Carrington was going to finish the job he'd started ten years ago. She knew it.

Eliza prayed as she made her way to the path. _Dear God don't_ _let David be the one to find me when he's finished._


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

Eliza stumbled down the path towards a run-down shack sitting deep in the southern pines; the remote setting provided all the privacy Carrington would need to torture and kill her. If the gun he kept in her back wasn't menacing enough the dilapidation of the place was.

"You know it's only a matter of time before the BAU finds you John. " Eliza hoped keeping him preoccupied long enough, somehow, someway David would find her.

"Doesn't matter, Eliza."

She felt a chill shimmy down her spine.

"I only killed those other women to get to you. I knew you would become a part of the investigation. You were supposed to be my last. Did you know that? I never wanted to kill again, but when you survived I knew I had to plan my escape and finish what I started. Those other women were my way of insuring you'd help the police find me. I knew once I lured you away from the investigation, I could finish what I started all those years ago."

Eliza felt the tears burn hot in her eyes. Women were dead because she'd survived. Families were forever changed because she'd lived.

"You'll go back to prison John whether I'm alive or dead," her only hope was to keep him talking.

He pushed her through the door of the shack and shoved her towards the back room. Rats scurried from a rotted sofa and what looked to be mixture of garbage and broken glass near a window.

"No – I'm not going back to prison Eliza. When I'm done with you, I'm going to call your lover and tell him exactly where to find me. The last thing I see will be the look on his face when he realizes there is nothing he can do to save you. You'll be alive, but there will nothing anyone can do for you. No doctors, no BAU, and no David Rossi. I'll win, because the great David Rossi will have to watch you die."

Eliza turned to face him. He was thinner than she remembered, almost gaunt. His eyes were sunken and deep purple shadows gave him the appearance of being in a fight, instead of the lack of oxygen Eliza knew was the real reason for the discoloration.

That was her only hope at leaving this place alive. John Carrington's heart condition wouldn't allow for a lot of exertion, and she intended to fight him with every ounce of strength in her body.

He tossed a set of plastic zip-ties at her and pointed to two large metal rings in the wall behind her.

Eliza picked them up but didn't move.

"Put them on Eliza."

She shook her head, "If you want them on, you'll have to put them on me yourself."

He grinned, "Now, now Eliza. You know I don't have the strength for that. " He raised the gun and aimed it at her heart.

She closed her eyes, said a quick prayer and waited.

Eliza felt the bullet as it entered her left arm. She fell to the floor, and Carrington motioned to the zip-tie with the gun.

"It won't be that easy Eliza. Now, put them on."

Her left arm hung limp at her side, but she managed to secure her right wrist in the first zip-tie. She had to stop as she leaned against the wall and used her legs to slide upward to the metal ring. For a moment she could only lean heavily against the wall. She heard Carrington chamber a bullet.

She stared at him.

"I can't lift my other arm, John. You know that."

She looked down at her blood soaked shirt.

She waited until he stepped closer. He had to be next to her, he had to be distracted by the zip-tie, he had…

Eliza pushed with all her might, toppling into him. They fell into a heap on the floor. She kicked and screamed, at one point, with her good arm, she managed to scratch his face. He dropped the gun and it slid out of reach.

Eliza felt the first cut.

Where had the knife come from?

It penetrated her right thigh.

Carrington yanked it from her leg and Eliza felt the warmth of her blood begin to trickle down her pants.

He was on top of her, the knife pushing against her throat.

She froze.

"That was unwise, Eliza. I'm going to have to punish you for that."

Eliza held her breath, her arm was on fire, her leg ached and she could barely move with Carrington's weight on top of her.

She felt him rip the fabric of her top open.

"Ahhh," he grinned, "The doctors were unable to prevent much scarring I see."

Eliza swallowed. Had she heard movement?

Carrington cut open her bra and moved the knife downward. The tip traveling over the scar tissue.

"Tell me Eliza, what did Supervisory David Rossi think of my handiwork?"

Eliza heard the creak of a rotted board.

"Why don't you ask me yourself, you son-of-a-bitch."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

Eliza wasn't sure what happened next. How a man in Carrington's condition managed to move so quickly was hard to comprehend. The only thing she was absolutely sure of was John Carrington maneuvered her in front of him and held a knife to her throat while David Rossi held a gun aimed right at him.

"Let her go," David said through teeth clenched so hard, Eliza though she heard a tooth crack from the pressure.

"Now why would I do that," Carrington's breath was hot and rapid against her face. He wasn't concerned with the gun David held on him.

Eliza had seen determination many times in her patients. Whether it was determination from killers to keep on killing or the stoic determination of victims to rise above what had been a life-altering moment. It was always the same – I will get what I want, even if it kills me.

She couldn't – wouldn't let David take that chance. She could see it in his eyes – he would die before allowing Carrington to complete what he'd started.

Eliza knew in that moment – she would gladly take his place before she would let that happen.

"We're…we're just going to sit here and talk David." She pleaded with him silently.

One movement.

One movement of his head from left to right - David Rossi wasn't going anywhere.

Carrington pushed the blade to the left of her jugular vein, "Awe, Eliza don't send him away. I wouldn't want him to miss one minute of your screams."

Morgan and Hotch appeared on either side of David, just at that moment, guns ready and glued to Carrington.

"Not happening," Morgan's deep baritone filled the room. "You twitch and I'll put a bullet in you myself."

John Carrington laughed. "My, my, Eliza you have been a busy lady. Tell me, do your knights know the real reason why you support their unit so vehemently?"

Eliza kept her eyes focused on David.

The room was suddenly still, all sound gone.

"Come on Eliza," he sneered. "Why don't you tell them what you did to their little unit? Tell them what you'll do if one them ever leaves? You've done it before, you'll do it again."

Eliza couldn't move. Her heart ached. She'd taken an oath – she couldn't do what Carrington wanted.

"Why don't you tell them about your little visits with Elle Greenway? How you convinced her after the murder of that rapist she could never be part of the team again? How many days and nights did she come to you begging for absolution? And what did you do?"

Eliza tried to swallow the knot in her throat, but her mouth had gone dry.

"You sent her to a mental facility!"

Eliza saw it. It was just a flicker of doubt, but it was there in David's eyes.

"No!" She whispered.

"And what was it you told the great Agent Gideon? Tell them!"

Eliza took a shaky breath.

"Tell them how you convinced him he was right to leave the BAU."

She kept her eyes focused on David.

Carrington pushed deeper with the tip of the blade, "Tell them how he was working with the Director to return. Tell them how you told the Director Agent Jason Gideon was too high a risk for reinstatement."

She could feel Carrington's breath getting more and more shallow. Her body weight against his chest was becoming too much for him to bear. She had one chance. She had to completely relax against him so he would be supporting both of them. Only then would he loosen his grip enough for her to slide free. Eliza forced her breathing to a slow and steady pace.

The recognition of what she was about to do flickered in David's eyes.

"Tell them! Tell them how Gideon came to you, night after night after Sara died. Tell them what you said to him when he finally felt whole enough to return."

Eliza released the tension in her arms and shoulders, "I told him the BAU wasn't where he belonged." Eliza saw the knife raised high above her head. She pushed her body against Carrington's and he heaved an exhausted breath just before she slid beneath his arm and fell to the floor.

David fired.

John Carrington crumbled in a heap next to her, his cold lifeless eye's staring into hers.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

The plane was quiet.

Eliza waited until everyone was settled. She owed them so much. Her life had been in their hands, in more ways than one. Her heart clench. This case wasn't the first time she'd found herself in debt to them.

Aaron looked around the group, "Elizabeth Crowing is going to be fine, she just got out of surgery. " He announced, snapping his cell phone shut.

"By the way, how did she get to you so quickly?" Eliza asked. "John took the keys."

David grinned, "It seems Ms. Crowing paid for her way through college as a mechanic. The lady can hot-wire a car like a pro."

Eliza smiled.

The quiet returned.

All eyes turned toward her.

Eliza took a deep breath. "I'll tell you what I can, but you must realize that there is a doctor/patient confidentiality that I am sworn to protect."

David reached out and squeezed her hand, "We understand. We don't want you to break any trust, we're just concerned about our friends."

Eliza nodded.

"Elle is NOT in a mental institute as John said. She is however in a rehab clinic."

"Rehab?" It was Spencer. He paused and his head jerked up before he added, "She _**was**_ drinking before she left. I went to see her in her room one night and she'd been drinking. I should have said something, then."

Eliza looked at the young man. Elle had often told her she thought of him as the kid brother she never had.

"No Elle had to come to her own admission. Nothing you could have done or said would have made a difference Spencer. It was her alcoholism that led her to my practice. I've had some success with ex-agents and their recovery from substance abuse."

There was a long silence.

"Gideon?" Reid's voice was a whisper.

This was dangerous territory. Gideon was still her patient. Elle had checked herself into the rehab clinic and was under the care of a colleague, but Gideon was an active patient.

"Jason has several demons he still wrestles with Dr. Reid. One's I won't violate, but I can tell you when the Director at the FBI came to see us, we _**all**_ agreed that now was not the time for him to return."

Some times in life you come to a moment in time where reflection and regret collide. This was one of those times for this unit. Eliza could see the reflection of past cases with Jason Gideon wash over them. She could also see the regret for what their friend must be going through – alone.

That much she could rectify.

"You should know that Jason has met a wonderful woman. She's an ex-CIA agent, and they appear to be very happy together. He also has taken steps to reconcile his relationship with his son. He is healing and he is happy."

She watched as tiny smiles began to flourish in the plane.

"So what Carrington told us wasn't true. You didn't tell him he didn't belong with the BAU." JJ asked.

"No, I did tell him that – well….sort of." Eliza knew this was one of those thin ice areas she had to be careful with. "We discussed this with the Director and while the Bureau was more than ready for Jason to return – Jason wasn't. He still feels the need to work out certain…." She paused, "He has certain issues he feels are still unresolved. None of them have anything to do with any of you. I did tell him that coming back to the BAU had to be what he felt was best for him. If he wasn't ready, then no. He didn't need to return."

She turned to look at David, "He was very glad to hear you had returned. He said something about old dogs and tequila."

David burst out laughing, "That son-of-…" he paused and looked at the team who was watching him with raised eyebrows and questioning glances, "What? It's a private joke." He told them, trying desperately to contain his laughter.

Morgan fiddled with his head phone as the laughter died down. Eliza watched with professional interest. Of all the members in the unit, he was probably the one person she was most curious about. She knew the obstacles he'd overcome in his life. She'd read them a thousand times in his annual psychiatric reviews.

Their eyes met.

His voice was calm and deliberate.

"While we're on the subject, why are you so connected to this unit?" He asked.

Eliza pressed her lips together in a thin line.

Now was the time.

"Because my sister was so tough on all of you." She whispered.

"You don't have to do this," Aaron spoke quietly.

Eliza clasped her hands together to stop them from shaking. He knew.

"Sister?" Morgan asked.

She swallowed.

"Erin Windham-Strauss."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

Eliza looked up to see Dorothy enter the room with her arms filled with files. Dorothy always pulled case files the previous night and arranged them by appointment times before leaving.

Which was a god-send for Eliza, because not only did it give her a glimpse into her work schedule for the following day, but allowed her to peruse some of her worst cases.

"Humph!" Dorothy plopped the huge stack on the corner of her desk. "I had hoped to get to theater group early tomorrow but this," she pointed at the files, "isn't looking good."

Eliza smiled, "Relax Dorothy – you know we'll have a few to cancel, and then there's the inevitable rescheduling. I'll bet half of these will be gone before you know it." Eliza didn't really believe it, but if it helped Dorothy to hear the words, then she didn't mind the tiny lie.

Dorothy wagged a finger in her direction, "Yeah and pigs build nest in sycamore trees." She told her. She started for the door and stopped. "Oh by the way, you have a really gorgeous man outside waiting to see you. He said he was a friend, and dear lord I hope he's telling the truth, cuz you deserve a friend who looks like that. Now normally you know I wouldn't just allow any Tom, Dick, or Harry to waltz in here with a line like that without checking him out – lord knows I'd like to check him out – thoroughly - but when Garcia called and told me he actually really truly is a friend, I figured…"

Eliza pushed away from her desk. How did one person say so much without breathing? And what was Penelope Garcia doing phoning to clear the way for…?

Eliza froze.

The answer reverberated through her – sending a chill of anticipation dancing along her spine.

Could it be?

Ever since their return from Alabama, Eliza had successfully avoid David Rossi. It wasn't that she didn't want to see him, it was just the bombshell she'd dropped in the plane the day they were returning didn't compare to the one David gave her when he told her the man Erin had mentioned in their conversations was none other than Rossi himself.

Erin had told her she had a new man in her life and Eliza had listened as her sister had extoled the virtues of her love life in breathless abandonment. Erin hadn't wanted to say too much because after all they did work together and the last thing she wanted was to start the office rumor mills. So Eliza had to be content in just listening to how happy her new love was making her.

Now she didn't know whether to laugh or cry. It felt like a betrayal to Erin for her to see Rossi.

So she choose to avoid him.

Dorothy opened the door and she watched as David Rossi walked in.

Dorothy stood for a moment watching them, bouncing from one then the other, and then with a whoosh of energy and a "I am so outta here." She vanished.

Eliza stood and pointed to a chair, "Please, have a seat." She told him.

He paused at the stack of folders, "It's good to see that Quantico isn't the only place with the paper imp."

Eliza sat down and looked at him, "What?"

David waved his hand in the direction of her desk, "We have a theory at Quantico, there is an paper imp, who mischievously waits until you've cleared your desk, then he sneaks in and covers it again."

Eliza smiled. She could just picture the humor it took to generate that rumor and how a group of profilers would fuel it.

"No, I do believe when he is not at the BAU, he's here – alive and well. Any idea how to get rid of him?"

"Morgan and I were in favor of shooting the bastar….ugh little guy, but discharging a firearm inside the BAU is frown on by the brass. Reid suggested we take turns running surveillance armed with giant fly-swatters. Of course Garcia nixed both ideas and wants to trap him in a cage – more humane that way."

Eliza laughed. She could just picture each event and some poor leprechaun looking, one-inch high guy keeping one step ahead of the unit.

"Let me know when you get him, I'd like to have a crack at him myself." She told him.

Eliza watched as he shifted in his chair.

"Eliza, I'm sorry."

She didn't speak – she couldn't. The large knot in her throat was preventing any sound.

He ran his hand over his goatee, "It never occurred to me that you and Erin might be related. I mean I knew Erin had a sister, and her maiden name had been Windham – but honestly I never put the two together."

She nodded, still unable to speak.

"If I had known, that night at the b&b, I would have told you about Erin and me."

Eliza cleared her throat and took a deep breath, "David I understand. I knew Erin was seeing someone she worked with but because she wanted to respect your privacy she never told me _who_ she was seeing. I respected her for that."

He speared his fingers through his hair. "I didn't see you at her funeral."

Eliza blinked, trying desperately to keep the tears at bay. "Erin and I made a promise to each other that if anything ever happened…we wouldn't go to one another's funeral. We made a list – sort of a bucket list of places we wanted to see before…." She took a deep breath and released it, "So I honored her last wish, and left the day she was buried."

She paused, glancing at her computer. Three days before she got word that the Replicator had murdered Erin, she'd received the up-to-date version of Erin's list. Because of her work Erin was consistently changing her list, marking off different locations and adding new ones.

"Where did she want to go?" David asked.

"Japan." Eliza answered.

David nodded. "She did like Bonsai trees. She kept one in her office and three more at home. She was always pruning and shaping the things." He sighed, "I never had the patience for it."

"Me either." She told him. "I never understood what she got out of it. Seemed like a lot of work just to look at a little tree."

He grinned, "I think I told her that a time or two."

For a long moment neither spoke. Eliza knew they were both lost in their own memories of Erin.

"I had to see you again, Eliza."

Eliza closed her eyes. Just the way he spoke her name was like a warm blanket on a cold winters day.

"I know." She whispered.

"I don't know what to do about…us." He told her.

"Neither do I, David." She stared down at her hands.

"On one hand, I feel like to try and continue our relationship is somehow betraying the one I had with Erin."

David voiced what had been in Eliza's heart for the past week.

"But on the other, I know Erin and she'd be the first one to kick us if we let something special get away from us."

Eliza smiled. He'd known Erin very well. Her sister had more than once pushed her when she needed it and often than not pulled her away from relationships Erin somehow instinctively recognized as harmful.

That was what sisters did.

He stood and walked around her desk to stand in front of her. He pulled her up to face him.

"I have an idea."

Eliza held her breath.

"Why don't we start with dinner, see how things go from there."

Eliza nodded.

"Pick you up tomorrow night? Seven-thirty?"

"Seven-thirty," she agreed.

He lightly kissed her cheek before leaving.

Eliza walked to the window of her office and opened the blinds in time to watch him as he climbed into a large SUV.

She looked down and the tiny bonsai tree. It was a plastic one – one Erin had given her last Christmas.

"Erin, that's quite a man you found."

The sun was setting in the horizon and bathed the tree in a golden glow.

Eliza tenderly touch one of the branches.

She still didn't know if the memories she would share with David Rossi would be those they would build together as friends or lovers, or if it would be the kind they would share about the one person they both loved.

What she did know was whatever fate brought them, they would share those memories for the rest of their lives.

The End.

Ps…Thank all of you for your comments regarding this little story. I appreciate those of you who read my writing about Criminal Minds more than I can say. Your notes and encouragement are why I continue to try and give you the best story I possibly can.


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